The Digital Frontier
Advancements in 20th century medicine reshaped society and made good health an expectation, not an exception. Now, 21st century breakthroughs may end disease, reverse aging, and restore sight and hearing — perhaps sooner than we think.
Featured
The West needs more water. This Nobel winner may have the answer.
Paul Migrom has an Emmy, a Nobel, and a successful company. There’s one more big problem on the to-do list.
Police spend 40% of their time on paperwork. Can AI help?
Axon’s AI innovations promise to free officers from desks, but not without questions of ethics. CEO Rick Smith addresses concerns and community trust:
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How natural “short sleepers” thrive on 4 hours of sleep per night
Natural “short sleepers” thrive on only four to six hours of sleep per night. Could their genetics explain why?
Your genes may impact psychedelic experiences
UNC researchers have found evidence that the genetic makeup of a crucial receptor may impact your psychedelic experience.
15th century futurism: Leonardo da Vinci’s famous helicopter design finally takes flight
Da Vinci dreamed up a helicopter 400 years before they actually existed. Now, engineers have brought his design to life, but with a twist.
MIT’s new ultrasound sticker lets you see inside your body
MIT researchers have created an ultrasound sticker that can continuously monitor a person’s organs and tissues for up to 48 hours.
Swiss team sets new world record for solar power
Swiss researchers have developed two perovskite-on-silicon solar cells that are more efficient than previously thought possible.
How will humans change in the next 10,000 years?
If humans don’t die out in a climate apocalypse or asteroid impact in the next 10,000 years, are we likely to evolve further?
What your weed label really means
Through the largest analysis of commercial cannabis flower yet, Colorado researchers have found that the current labeling system falls short.
This smart mattress will help you fall asleep fast
UT Austin engineers have developed a smart mattress that manipulates a person’s body temperature to help them fall asleep fast.
These ancient trees survived a wildfire because of fire
The survival of an ancient grove of trees in Yosemite may be a powerful case study for controlled burns.
NASA will send two more helicopters to Mars to bring home samples
Inspired by the overachieving Ingenuity, NASA has updated the Mars Sample Return mission to include two new Mars helicopters.
The 5-hour rule: How to turn a wasted day into a successful one
The 5-hour rule asks us to devote at least one hour a day to learning, experimenting, and reflecting. Here’s how to make it work for you.
US Army’s solar-powered drone is setting new records every day
A solar-powered drone being tested by the US Army has set a record for long-endurance flight, remaining aloft for more than 40 days straight.
Massive vertical mushroom farm opens in New York
Alt-meat startup MyForest Food has opened a new vertical mushroom farm in New York.
Widom of Daoism: why Yin-Yang is so much more than a tattoo
Yin-Yang symbolizes not a conflict or struggle but shows that nothing in life is solely either this or that.
The future of meat is sustainable — and a little weird
Ideas to reduce the meat industry’s impact on the environment include 3D-printed steaks, cultivated tiger meat, and potty-trained cows.
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Hard Reset
Engineering oleophilic sponges to save the oceans
“A new wave of material sciences could help us start cleaning the environment instead of just, well, using it as a trash can.”
Harvard scientists closer to solving centuries-old heart mystery
Harvard researchers have used a new method to crack the heart’s weird spiral muscle.
MIT engineers 3D-print rubbery brain implants that don’t “stab” the brain
How do you engineer an implant that doesn’t harm an organ as soft as tofu? MIT engineers 3D-printed new soft brain implants.
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Catalysts
Applying Silicon Valley thinking to the fight against poverty
“Change happens from the bottom up.”
Why is Singapore making beer from recycled wastewater?
“I mean, it tastes just like beer, and I like beer.”
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